Universal Bucket Handle Assembly

ABSTRACT

A bucket handle assembly with an annular collar and a handle. The bucket handle assembly is easily detachable and can be used with different buckets. The collar slides onto the exterior of a bucket and forms an interference fit with the exterior of the bucket near the top end of the bucket. The collar has opposing flanges where the handle attaches to the collar.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application No. 62/639,175.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

Buckets and other containers are used in many industries to store or transport supplies. Buckets often comprise a handle, which makes carrying or lifting the bucket easier by allowing user to grip the handle. A typical handle is rotatably attached to the bucket and extends above the top of the bucket in an arch when being used. The present invention is a detachable and universal bucket handle assembly.

Five gallon buckets with a twelve inch diameter are commercially available and widely used in many industries. A commercially available five gallon bucket typically includes a thin metal handle with a plastic gripping piece at the apex of the handle. The handle has two opposing ends, each end attached to an opposing side of the bucket. Handles on commercially available buckets are usually attached to the bucket by a snap-fit between the two handle ends and the bucket. Handles on commercially available buckets can be removed, but are not designed to be easily detachable and transferable to a different bucket.

The light metal handles on commercially available five gallon buckets are also incapable of maintaining structural integrity when the bucket contains a heavy load. More specifically, the light metal handles will bend at the apex, decreasing the angle between the apex and the downward arm of the handle. Heavy loads also increase the pressure at the two contact points between commercially available handles and the buckets, which can contort the shape of the bucket.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The universal bucket handle assembly comprises a collar and a handle. The universal bucket handle assembly can be easily detached from one bucket and attached to another bucket. The collar slides over the bottom end of the bucket and up the side forming an interference fit with the upper end of the bucket or resting against a circumferential lip integral the bucket. The collar has at least two attachment flanges. The handle attaches to the collar at the two attachment flanges. The collar disperses the point of contact between the handle assembly and the bucket allowing for a better dispersion of pressure when carrying heavy loads.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the universal bucket handle assembly in use with a standard five-gallon bucket.

FIG. 2 is a second perspective view of the first embodiment of the universal bucket handle assembly in use with a standard five-gallon bucket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, an embodiment of the universal bucket handle assembly 19 comprises a collar 20 and a handle 21. The universal bucket handle assembly 19 is shown in use with a bucket 22.

The bucket 22 has a first end 24, a second end 25, and an opening 26 co-planar with the second end 25. The bucket 22 has an exterior lip 23. The lip 23 circumferentially protrudes from the surface of the bucket 22 near the second end 25 of the bucket 22.

The collar 20 is circular and has a first surface 27 and a second surface 28. The collar 20 has first and second flanges 29 a and 29 b, located on opposing ends of the collar 20. Each flange 29 has a cylindrical aperture 30 extending through the collar 20 between the first surface 27 and the second surface 28.

The interior diameter of the collar 20 is slightly larger than the exterior diameter of the bucket 22. The interior diameter of the collar 20 is smaller than the exterior diameter of the bucket lip 23. When in use, the second surface 28 of the collar 20 is in contact with the bucket lip 23.

In other embodiments, the bucket 22 may not have a lip 23. In those embodiments the collar 20 will form an interference fit with the upper portion of the bucket 22. More specifically, commercial available buckets can be flared with a smaller bottom diameter and larger top/opening diameter. The inner dimeter of the collar 20 is larger than the bottom diameter of a flared bucket and smaller than the top dimeter of a flared bucket.

The handle 21 comprises a gripping portion 32 and two arms 33 a and 33 b. The exterior diameter of the arms 33 a and 33 b is slightly smaller than the diameter of the cylindrical apertures 30 a and 30 b of the flanges 29 a and 29 b. The arms 33 are enclosed within the apertures 30 of the flanges 29. Each arm 33 has an end 34 a and 34 b. The ends 34 a and 34 b have an exterior diameter larger than the diameter of the apertures 30. The ends 34 are located opposite the apertures 30 from the remainder of the arms 33 and griping portion 32 of the handle 21. The ends 34 form an interference fit with the apertures 30 of the flanges 29.

In other embodiments the ends 34 of the arms 33 can be integral the flanges 29 of the collar 20, or fastened to the flange 29 using a cap, screw, tying, or other suitable means.

The handle 21 has been described as an elongated rigid handle. In other embodiments, the handle may be a flexible, made of rope, or integral the collar.

The universal handle assembly 19 is used by inserting the first end 24 of the bucket into the collar 20 of the universal handle assembly 19. The collar 20 slides up the exterior of the bucket 22 toward the second end 25 of the bucket 22 until the second surface 28 of the collar 20 contacts the lip 23 of the bucket 22. The lip 23 prevents the collar 20 from sliding any further towards the second end 25 of the bucket 22. The collar 20 can be configured to create an interference fit with the exterior of the bucket 22, preventing the collar 20 from moving toward the first end 25 of the bucket once the interference fit is created. The interference fit is created by sliding the collar 20 up the exterior of the bucket 22 towards the second end 25 of the bucket 22.

The user grabs the gripping portion 32 of the handle 21 to lift or hold the bucket 22. The pressure applied by the user on the gripping portion 32 pulls the arms 33 a and 33 b away from the collar 20. The upward pressure created by the user pulls the ends 34 a and 34 b of the arms 33 a and 33 b of the handle 21 against the flanges 29 a and 29 b of the collar 20. Because the ends 34 are larger than the apertures 30 of the flanges 29, the flanges 29 prevent the ends 34 from passing through the apertures 30.

The invention provides a more durable handle assembly than the handles commercially available on buckets. The collar 20 of the universal bucket handle assembly 19 disperses the point of impact between the handle and the bucket. On commercially available bucket, the only point of impact is the attachment points where the metal handle is fastened to the bucket. This causes the handle and bucket to distort under pressure. The handle 21 of the universal bucket handle assembly 19 can be made of rope, metal, or any other suitable material. The collar 20 can be made of hard plastic, metal, or any other suitable material.

The universal bucket handle assembly 19 is detachable. The user can detach the universal bucket handle 19 by pushing on the second surface 28 of the collar 20 towards the first end 24 of the bucket 22. Once the user applies enough pressure on the second surface 28 of the collar 20 to overcome the interference fit between the collar 20 and the bucket 22, the universal bucket handle assembly 19 can be slid down the exterior of the bucket toward the first end 24 of the bucket 22 and removed. The universal bucket handle assembly 19 can then be attached to and used with a different bucket.

The embodiment of the invention has been described with reference to a cylindrical five gallon bucket. However, the invention can be used on any size bucket, on other types of containers, and on different shaped containers. 

I claim:
 1. A bucket handle assembly comprising: a collar having a first surface, a second surface and two flanges, wherein each flange has a cylindrical aperture between the first surface and the second surface of the collar; a handle having a first arm with a terminal end and a second arm with a terminal end, wherein the terminal end of the first arm extends through and forms an interference fit with said aperture of the first flange and the terminal end of the second arm extends through and forms an interference fit with said aperture of the second flange.
 2. A bucket comprising: A bucket handle assembly having a collar having a first surface, a second surface and two flanges, wherein each flange has a cylindrical aperture between the first surface and the second surface of the collar; a handle having a first arm with a terminal end and a second arm with a terminal end, wherein the terminal end of the first arm extends through and forms an interference fit with said aperture of the first flange and the terminal end of the second arm extends through and forms an interference fit with said aperture of the second flange.
 3. The bucket of claim 2 wherein: said collar forms an interference fit with the exterior surface of the bucket.
 4. The bucket of claim 2 further comprising an annular lip on the exterior surface of the bucket.
 5. A bucket handle assembly comprising a removable annular collar. 